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Parkrose grad takes over as commander of 45th Space Wing
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Council passes auto dealer amendments for 122nd Ave.
Hazelwood Hydro-Park nears completion
Gateway Baptist throws party for retiring pastor
Parkrose party brings down the house... er barn
City regatta provides introduction to natural areas
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The Mid-county Memo is your newspaper. We want to hear from you. Discuss an important issue or address a concern you want to call to the community’s attention. We prefer e-mailed letters to the editor sent to Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. Please put ‘letter to the editor’ in the subject line. You may also mail your letter to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave., Portland, OR 97230 or fax it to 503-249-7672. Our deadline for the September issue is Tuesday, Aug. 15.

Madison South overlooked
To the Editor:
Dear Lee Perlman:
As you are always right on the money with your articles, I am chalking this up to you being an overworked and underpaid newspaper reporter.

In your recent article about The Heights at Columbia Knoll grand opening, you omitted a very important piece of information. The project is located in Madison South Neighborhood and nowhere in the article is that mentioned. Also, Madison South neighbors worked very hard to help bring this project to fruition. You might, if you have room in the next issue, do an “Oops, I forgot to mention” piece stating the above facts. I am sure all of the Madison South folks who worked on various committees and attended tons of meetings would appreciate their efforts being noted.

As always, you do a great job and I always look forward to keeping up with what’s going on in the neighborhood through your articles.

Warm regards,
Susan E Hamilton

Lee Perlman replies: “The problem with summarizing an enterprise as complex as this is that, inevitably, you will leave out someone or something that played a role in it. The more people or organizations you mention, the more the omissions seem like a slight. Yes, the Madison South, Roseway and Sumner neighborhood associations, the Central Northeast Neighbors Land Use Committee, and many others too numerous to mention played a significant role.”

Summer is fun, but goes by fast
To the Editor:
All of a sudden, it is time to prepare youngsters for a new school year. This can be an expensive challenge.

Parents discover that feet have grown over the summer and won’t fit into last year’s school shoes. Clothes no longer fit growing bodies. Required school supplies are not always within a family budget.

I recently talked with a young single mother of three who illustrates the concern.

She works for minimum wage at a service station located a short walk from her two-bedroom apartment. If she doesn’t miss any time for illnesses, either her own or her children’s, she can work enough hours to equate to full-time status. With no payroll deductions for uniforms or dues, she will take home about $1000 a month.

Rent at $595 consumes much of her take-home. After paying utilities, medical bills and buying food, there really isn’t much left to outfit her children for school. She worries. A lot.

Unfortunately, public schools are no longer free.

It may seem early to think about school supplies, but not at SnowCap where we try to get an early jump on getting children ready to start school after Labor Day. We need help now so we can distribute school supplies to needy and deserving children during the latter part of August.

Supplies most needed include: colored pencils, yellow highlighters, Pink Pearl erasers, 12-inch rulers, watercolor paint sets, three-ring binders, red ballpoint pens, colored markers, supply boxes, pointed scissors, backpacks and calculators.

Also needed are white school glue, glue sticks, wide- and college-ruled paper, wide- and college-ruled spirals, pocket folders (PeeChees), 24-color crayon boxes, pencils, pencil-top erasers, blue and black ballpoint pens and computer disks.

Many of these items are on sale, and we have several bargain-eyed and thrifty volunteer women shoppers who will match donated funds with coupons and careful shopping. They can stretch a dollar until it says, “Uncle!”

SnowCap supporters have two opportunities to assist. You may do your own shopping and donate school supplies or you can donate cash, which will be cautiously expended to acquire the items the schools require and the students need.

We know that linking education to expenses - schooling for only those who can afford it - is a good way to establish a class system and we know that is not good for our community or our country. We believe our “back-to-school-supply” program will provide low-income students an equal chance at education. We need help from the community to achieve this goal.

For information, please call SnowCap at 503-674-8785 or send an e-mail to judy@snowcap.org.

Sincerely,
Judy Alley
Executive Director
SnowCap Community Charities
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